Creative capital lights up for WOW

To mark the 25th year of the World of WearableArt™, 25 bespoke lanterns have been hung under the sails on Queens Wharf as part of the city dressing for this year’s event.

Positively Wellington Tourism (PWT) General Manager Marketing Sarah Meikle says the installation celebrates the event’s long history and the innovation of the designers involved.

“For WOW’s 25th anniversary we wanted to show how the event lights up Wellington each year with its magic and creativity. So, we thought it only fitting that the city dressing reflects that.”

The 1.2m high lanterns have been created to complement the Moroccan lantern design used in the award-winning garmentNoor Reverie. Designed by Massey University Wellington student Rebecca Maxwell, the garment has been the centrepiece of this year’s marketing campaign for the show, Ms Meikle says.

As well as the installation, 63 stores are taking part in the annual WOW® window dressing competition, run by PWT in conjunction with the event organisers. Bars and restaurants throughout the city are also offering a range of pre and post-show deals.

“The way businesses embrace and celebrate the WearableArt Awards™ is a big part of the whole experience for visitors, with many telling us the retail windows are a real highlight,” Ms Meikle says.

Throughout the show period, PWT is also promising a number of lucky locals and visitors will ‘Be WOWed in Wellington’, with a range of surprise and delight experiences planned that will celebrate the magic of WOW®.

"WOW® takes the ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary."

“We want visitors and locals alike to have an extraordinary time in Wellington and are doing our bit to add a bit of magic along the way. On Friday night, for example, we hired a limousine and had that pick up unsuspecting WOW-goers who had ordered a taxi from their hotel. And we have a few more tricks up our sleeve over the coming days.”

Be WOWed in Wellington…

Visit the lantern installation under the sails on Queens Wharf and share your photos with #WOWinWLG.

Tour the 63 retail window dressing competition entries. You can view theWOW® Insider’s Guide to Wellingtonmap of participating retailers atWellingtonNZ.com, or pick up a copy at the Wellington i-SITE Visitor Centre in Civic Square.

VisitThe WOW Factor: 25 Years in the Making– a free exhibition that unlocks some of the magic of WOW®, both on stage and behind the scenes – at Te Papa.